Onward & Upward: Continuing and Completing Your Goals

Virtually every study tells us that around 80% of New Year’s resolutions will get abandoned this month. That is a sad statistic. Accomplishing goals leads to satisfaction and further motivation, while not accomplishing goals leads to the opposite. Making progress on and completing goals we set for ourselves increases our confidence and can help us move forward. Setting goals and working to achieve them helps us define what we truly want in life. Everyone wants to feel successful and be able to say they’ve achieved their goals. Even if you’ve begun to slack on what you were planning to accomplish last month, there are things you can do to get back on track and stay there.

Find Ways to Stay Motivated

Ask yourself why you really care about achieving your goals. Then, think through all the ways that your New Year’s resolution could benefit the people around you. If you can attach your New Year’s resolution to someone you love and think about how your goal will benefit them, your brain can give you a much needed emotional boost. Additionally, try making your goals more visual by creating a “Vision Board” and posting it in a place you will look at often. You can also use a plastic page protector or photo holder in your planner to keep images that will remind you of your goals and keep them constantly in front of you. Add your goals to your Weekly Compass Card and Progressive Task List so you see them listed there every day.

Consistently Evaluate

Making goals in December and then never looking at them again is not going to be productive. If you’ve already given up on a goal, it may just be that you need to reevaluate it. Likewise, if you feel you’re completely crushing your goal, it may be too easy and need adjusting as well. The best goals are those we can imagine obtaining, but have to stretch ourselves to complete. No matter how well you’re accomplishing your goals, you should look at them at least monthly and reflect on your progress so far. How are you doing? What improvements need to be made? If one of your resolutions has turned out to be unreasonable, adjust it and move forward instead of simply counting it out.

Find An Accountability Partner

Sharing your New Year’s resolutions with a trusted friend or co-worker can help you track your progress, stay focused, and celebrate your wins. In fact, people with accountability partners are 65% more likely to reach their goals. You can create a shared document with your accountability partner where you write down your goals, deadlines, plans, and other thoughts and update it regularly with your progress. You can also schedule a weekly or monthly check-in to update each other on your progress in person or on the phone and talk through setbacks and provide advice.

Don’t give up on your goals. Find new ways to stay motivated and don’t be afraid to adjust your goals to where you are right now. Be patient with yourself and continue working, and eventually you’ll get to where you want to be. This year, be one of the 20% to stick with your resolutions and achieve your goals.